Methan mani

Methan Mani is a clock tower which stands next to the Padmanabha Swamy Temple, East Fort, Thiruvananthapuram in the south west Indian state of Kerala.[1] It is a historic landmark and a tourist attraction.[2]

Methan Mani
LocationTrivandrum, Kerala, India
Coordinates8°28′57.8″N 76°56′45.9″E
Built1833 [1]
ArchitectKulathooran
Architectural style(s)Kerala architecture
Location of Trivandrum within India
Methan mani (Kerala)

Location

The "Methan Mani" is located near the Padmanabha Swamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram.[3] To see it, one has to stand before the temple entrance and look in the opposite direction of the Padmatheertha pond. It is on the top of the Old Fort Palace. The unique feature of the clock is the presence of a bearded man on top of the dial who opens his mouth corresponding to every hour and two rams hit his cheek and forcing him to close his mouth. This action is co-oridnated with the hourly chimes.

History

It is said to have been installed in the 1840s during the reign of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma. The clock is constructed from Mahogany by an artisan called Kulathooran.[1] Records show that two clockwork mechanisms were purchased by the then State of Travancore from Chennai. One was installed at Trivandrum, the other at Padmanabhapuram Palace, in Tamil Nadu.

There is also a history that the clock was installed to commemorate the successful repulsion of Invasion of Travancore by Tippu Sultan.[3]

Present

The clock still works perfectly, and strikes each hour in a day. The Methan Mani remains a popular landmark in the city with the chimes audible around the locality. There was a web version of the clock released in 2004 by the Centre for Development of Imaging Technology (C-Dit), which is offline currently.

References
  1. "Methan Mani, East Fort". keralatourism.org. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
  2. "Methan Mani". tripadvisor.com. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
  3. P. Venugopal (22 November 2004). "Methan Mani goes Cyber". thehindu.
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